Friday, September 14, 2012

So you’ve
decided it’s time to branch out and start your own business.
Great-congratulations! What could be more rewarding than working for yourself?
Since your business is new, not many people know it exists yet. So how are you
going to get the word out? How can you let potential customers know: “Hey! Here
I am! I started a new company!” There are certain methods that will ensure the
exposure of your business to a large audience.

Print is
still an essential part of advertising. One easy thing to do is take the best
ad you’ve made so far, put it on a postcard, and send it to business prospects.
Direct mail is an effective way to get attention. You can also submit a short
press release to local newspapers. It’s also a good idea to submit articles
summarizing your business to industry magazines, which are often in search of
new valuable content. Have you seen those bulletin boards in grocery stores,
churches, and community buildings? It doesn’t hurt to make a simple flyer and
post it around town—people do read these and it will open up a bigger audience.
If you can afford it, you can also create a vehicle decal or wrap. You could
get custom made products such as pens and t-shirts. You never know who will be
given one of these free items and believe it or not, it can lead to more
business.

Branching out
in the community is much needed for a new business. If you know of another
company that would benefit from working with you or could offer you support,
try “buddy marketing” with them. Offer to advertise for them on your marketing
materials if they will do the same for you. It increases your chances of being
recognized and shows you work well with other businesses. Joining your local
Chamber of Commerce will allow you to network among peers in your community.
You can also offer a free class or presentation at a community center. When you
answer your business phone, try making some kind of announcement about your
company such as “serving nine varieties of homemade bread made fresh every
day”. Related to that, you can also make cold calls if you feel comfortable
doing so.Get involved with charitable
events in the community to show you’re a business that cares.

It’s very important to find your audience, because
you can’t target and attract everyone, nor would you want to.Things like cable commercials and YouTube
videos are inexpensive ways to narrow your audience and target the right
people. Attend trade shows with samples of your products or information about
your services—these include local fairs and festivals.